Colorado Real Estate Appraisal License Course

In order to be licensed as a Real Estate Appraiser in the state of Colorado you must take a total of 90 hours of courses in order to qualify for a license to begin your career in Appraisal. The two foundational courses that make up this 90 hour requirement are the Appraisal 101 (75 hours) and the USPAP (15 hours) courses. But don't worry! Your online instructor will show you how to sail through both required courses faster and easier than ever from the comfort of your own home or office.

One may think that with the current housing and mortgage crisis, it might be too late to pursue a career in Real Estate Appraisal. But the opposite is true.  All “old” appraisers are going to have to comply with the new rules and regs recently enacted, so the playing field is level again. You can enter this exciting, lucrative field at a unique time in history when the entire industry is looking for new, freshly trained appraiser licensees who have taken the newest curriculum. What that means to you is, lots of opportunities and lots of new doors opening.

If you are interested in enrolling in a real estate appraisal course you should know that it will be necessary to meet licensing and/or certification requirements that are different depending on the State, but you can be sure that they will include real estate appraisal education, working as a trainee, and passing one or more license exams.

Colorado Real Estate Appraisal Licensing Requirements
The Colorado Board of Real Estate Appraisers has established the minimum educational requirements for an appraisal license. The minimum educational requirements include the following:

Registered Appraiser: At least 75 hours of appraisal education and training, including 15 hours of ethics and standards of practice, and passing the Level A licensing examination. College-level requirements: None

Licensed Appraiser: At least 150 hours of appraisal education and training, including 15 hours of ethics and standards of practice; 2,000 hours of appraisal experience over at least 12 months; and passing the Level A licensing examination. The Level A exam must be repeated for this requirement if more than one year has elapsed since passing it for the registered appraiser level. College-level requirements: None

Certified Residential Appraiser: At least 200 hours of appraisal education and training, including 15 hours of ethics and standards of practice; 2,500 hours (including 1,500 hours non-residential) of appraisal experience across at least 30 months; and passing the Level B licensing examination. College-level requirements: Associate degree or higher. In lieu of the required degree, 21 semester credit hours covering the following subject matter courses: English Composition; Principles of Economics (Micro or Macro); Finance; Algebra, Geometry or higher mathematics; Statistics; Computer Science; and Business or Real Estate Law.

Certified General Appraiser: At least 300 hours of appraisal education and training, including 15 hours of ethics and standards of practice; 3,000 hours (including 1,500 hours non-residential) of appraisal experience across at least 30 months; and passing the Level C certification examination. College-level requirements: Bachelors degree or higher. In lieu of the required degree, 31 semester credit hours covering the following subject matter courses: English Composition; Principles of Economics (Micro or Macro); Finance; Algebra, Geometry or higher mathematics; Statistics; Computer Science; and Business or Real Estate Law; and 2 elective courses in accounting, geography, ag-economics, business management, or real estate.

Please note: Fifteen (15) hours of Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice are required prior to becoming a Licensed Appraiser.

IMPORTANT: For detailed information on understanding the 2008 Real Property Appraiser Qualification Criteria, please follow this link to the Appraisal Foundation.

State Regulatory Agency
Colorado Board of Real Estate Appraisers:
1560 Broadway, Suite 925
Denver, CO 80202
(303) 894-2166 x 319
Click for State Website

What does a Real Estate Appraiser Do?
When the value of a property needs to be established, the real estate appraiser goes to work. Real estate appraisers estimate the value of property for a many reasons. For example, appraisals are necessary to determine a sales price or to determine the amount of a loan that could be given on a residential or business property. A real estate appraiser may be asked to determine the worth of any type of real estate, from a vacant lot to a city airport, but they often specialize in determining the value of only a certain type of real estate such as residential buildings or commercial properties. The role of the appraiser and the assessor is different. Assessors settle on the value of all properties in an area for property tax purposes where appraisers determine the value of properties one at a time for a multiplicity of purposes, such as to establish what a good sale price would be for a home or to clear up an estate or help in a divorce resolution. Obviously, to do a thorough and accurate job an appraiser will have need to attend a quality real estate appraisal school.

The values of all types of real estate are made using comparable methods, regardless of the kind of property or who the appraiser works for. Real Estate Appraisers work in communities that they know well so they have a good understanding of any issues that might have an impact on the value of a property. They pay close attention to any unusual features of a property and of the community, such as a certain style of a building or a major roadway next to the property. They also consider other aspects of a property like the quality and condition of the building foundation and roof of a building or any changes that may have been made since the building was originally built. They may take photographs to document a certain area or feature, as well as taking pictures of the outside of the structure. After making a visit to the property, the appraiser can establish the fair value of the property by considering home sales in the area for comparable properties, public records, the location, previous real estate appraisals, and the potential for income. Once they have completed all of their research they will put together a detailed report which presents the value of the property along with the reasons that justify the value they arrived at.

Real estate appraisers work for individual clients and focus on evaluating one piece of real estate at a time. Real estate appraisers frequently specialize by the type of real estate they appraise, such as residential properties, shopping centers, or office buildings. Often, commercial appraisers have the ability to appraise any real property but they choose to appraise property only used for commercial purposes, such as shopping centers or restaurants. Residential property appraisal professionals work on appraising houses or other family residences and only appraise those that accommodate 1 to 5 families. Then there are other appraisers who serve in a more general way and can value any type of real property.

Licensed Real estate appraisal pros develop a detailed summary report for each assignment. Putting these reports together has become faster and more efficient as a result of the use of laptop computers which allow appraisers to research data and complete at least portions of the report while on-site. Digital cameras make it simple to document the physical appearance of a property during the appraisal, and the photos can be used in the citations of the report.

Real Estate Appraisers spend much of their time researching and writing reports. However, with the improvement of computers and other technical advancements, such as wireless internet access, actual time in the office has gone down as so much of the required research can be done more quickly at the actual appraisal site or from home. Obtaining records that used to require a visit to government offices can often be found online. This has positively affected self-employed appraisers, frequently referred to as independent fee appraisers, allowing them to spend much more time on-site doing research and less time in their office.

Independent fee real estate appraisers tend to put in a standard forty hour work week and in addition, commonly work evenings and weekends preparing reports. Visits to properties commonly take place during the day, and are based on the client’s schedule. Privately employed appraisers, on the other hand, normally work a 40-hour week. Real Estate Appraisers normally do their on-site appraisal work alone. Their office may be made up of only themselves or a small support team.

What are the Qualifications to Become a Real Estate Appraiser?
The requirements that must be met to become a fully qualified appraiser or assessor are complex and vary for appraisers and assessors, by State, and sometimes by the value or type of property to be assessed or appraised. In general, appraisers must meet licensing and/or certification requirements which include specific training requirements, a period of work as a trainee, and passing one or more examination. Therefore it is essential that prospective appraisers and assessors check with their State governments to determine the specific education and experience required in their State. There also are additional certifications or association designations that are helpful for advancement as well as continuing education requirements.

Helpful Links
National Association of Independent Fee Appraisers
National Association of Real Estate Appraisers